By: Joe Strupp San Francisco Chronicle Editor Phil Bronstein is bracing for another federal demand for the identity of his paper's sources in the BALCO steroid investigation after the Chronicle revealed Thursday that slugger Jason Giambi had admitted in secret testimony to using steroids.
"It wouldn't surprise me if we got another call or two," Bronstein told E&P. "This story seems to have had more resonance than the last one."
Bronstein was referring to letters the paper received last summer after reporting on secret testimony in the case, in which a grand jury is investigating potential illegal steroid distribution by the Bay Area-based BALCO.
Hours after Bronstein spoke to E&P, the Chronicle revealed that it had also seen testimony by San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds, in which the slugger admitted that he had used steroidal substances but claimed he did not know their nature.
The Giambi revelations "required a lot of work and effort on the part of the reporters to get and it was a fairly long story," Bronstein said. "It is getting more reaction and we are getting more e-mails."
Bronstein said the paper had not been contacted by the BALCO investigators, Major League Baseball, or any of Giambi's representatives as of Thursday afternoon.
He also repeatedly declined to say if the source for the Giambi testimony was different than the previous source for testimony, or when the paper obtained access to the latest information. "One should draw no conclusions," he added. "We are very aware that we are dealing with an issue of heavy dynamics."
When asked if the Chronicle planned to publish any similar stories with information about specific testimony in the case, Bronstein would say only, "keep reading." Not much later, the paper unveiled its account of Bonds' testimony.
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